Faecal sludge can be described as a slurry formed by a network of solid particles, colloids and polymers with which moisture interacts in different manners. The moisture in the sludge can be categorized as a function of the binding strength with the dry solid structure. In a practical point of view, it is of great importance to identify the proportion of the different types of moisture within the sludge and characterize the binding strength with the bone dry structure. This will allow evaluating the ability of the sludge to be dewatered and dried, and the estimation of the energy requirements. This information will assist sanitation practitioners in the selection of technologies for dewatering. In addition, the understanding of the different types of interactions of the moisture within the sludge could lead to the improvement of processes and technological innovations. Nevertheless, currently literature lacks information on this topic. In order to fill in this lack of information, the Water Research Commission has opened a direct call for funding to investigate the binding characteristics of the moisture within faecal material (faecal sludge from on-site sanitation facilities and fresh faeces).The Pollution Research Group (PRG), in collaboration with the Centre of Water Resource Research (CWRR), at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), expresses interest to respond to the aforementioned funding call to conduct the necessary investigation. The availability of laboratory material, analytical methods, specialized staff, as well as the experience in the research field of faecal sludge characteristics and drying, make to PRG-UKZN a suitable place to conduct the investigation described in this proposal. Besides, some information related to the binding strength of moisture in the sludge is already available from the past and current investigations.The first stage of the project will consist in the characterization of the binding strength of moisture in different faecal sludge samples and understanding its relationship with the properties of the sludge. Afterwards, a study will be led to identify methods that could reduce the binding strength, which will allow to increase the amount of unbounded moisture and the subsequent dewaterability of the sludge, translating into the decrease of the processing costs. Theoutcomes from this project are expected to increase the understanding of faecal sludge characteristics, as well as to lead to improvements in the dewatering and drying process that will benefit the sanitation chain